The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1887-11-26
THANKSGIVING DAY.

Americans celebrate is not an ancient
1t is a New England
plant, and one of the best among many
good things that the Puritans have
handed down to us.
The first Thanksgiving day was an
imitation OF the old "harvest home" OF
England, where after the trultase
something of each of the goods the
Lord had blessed the people with was
taken to the church and placed about
the chancel, when prayers and thanks
we're offered up for the bounty OF Co..
after which the rector distributed
among the poorer of the parish the
contributions OF his people. 1t was a
pretty custom and it is a pity that we
have not engrafted it into our Amerl-
can Thanksgiving festival. The initial
one of these was a harvest thankssiV-
ing. After the first harvest OF the e
England colonists in 1921 Gov. Brad
ford made provision for a day Tor re-
ioicing, with prayer and praise. In
the year 1923, because of q serious
drouth, the ;festal character OF the day
was changed into fasting and prayer
but by the blessing OF the Creator,
who amidst the prayers Of His people
sent the desired rain, the day was
finished amidst thanks and rejoiclngs.
Gradually the custom became COM
mon in the eastern colonies OF appoint
ing a dav of thanksgiving after each
harvest, which was done by proclama-
ton of the governor. During the
revolution congress annually set apart
a dav for the purpose. Washington
| after the adoption OF the constitution
recommended a day of thanksgiving,
and subsequently, the custom was oc-
cssionally observed. Lincoln caused
some of the victories of the Union
armv to be thus commemorated, and
in 1868 issued a proclamation 1or
a national observance of a thanksglV-
ing day. Since that time such . proc
lsmation has been annually made, gen.
erally for the last Thursday in Novem-
Der, and supplemented by proclama-
tons by the governors, and in many OF
the states, our own among the number.
it has become a legal holiday.
1t might be made a more beautiful
custom even than it is now ii to the
features we have those of the ''harves1
home' were added. Then it could be
made a real and complete holiday, ano
about every altar Gods poor could Dt
remembered, while with the thank
offerings there would ascend to TIT
throne the thanks and praises of the
people there assembled.
But it is a very beautiful custom a
it is. 1t brings families together. l
is a breathing spell in the rush ant
hurry OF that mad pursuit for gail
which is the bane of American life. II
reminds some OF us that we have mucl
to be thankful for. Sometimes VIZ
forget this. We fail to remember tina
God has for another year spared t.
us our loved ones, that about the boar
there are no vacant chairs; we do no
think that it is to Him we are indebte'
1 for continued health, for strength I
prosecute our several avocations, 70
: prosperity commensurate with on
needs, and often far beyond on
a deserts; for the love o~f~kipdred an
s for the faithfulness of friends.
: We Americans have more than thes
to be grateful for. We have th
. prandest country under the sun to
, productiveness and variety of resOur,
: es; we are the most prosperous of I'll
peoples of the earth; we have demon
L strated to all the world the practices
bility Of mans self government; "
have a country free from pestilent
and famine, and at peace with all Il
world.
If 1t is very meet and proper, there
fore, that we should C a yei
J. unitedly return our thanks TO Il
Almighty God tor his goodness and h
II bounty. Long may the custom live!
The official vote of the Ohio electit
y in 1885 was 1888 1866; in 1886, 704,2s
" and this year 744,56s. The totals a
as follows: For governor, Forake
10 republican, 356, 1887; Powell, democr;
3 3,205; Seitz, labor, 24,712;. Shar
le prohibition, $4,000; scattering, !
IN Foraker over Powell, 23,732. The VIC
of showed a slight increase for the pr
ut hibItionsts over 1885, when Leona
pc had 2S,091. When in 1884 in Missol
to by a combination of all the OPPOSITE
e., elements, 3 coalition ticket, and a m
a. cradle canvass against Gen. Marin
MT duke of misrepresentation and abuI
no the democratic majority over all
he governor was reduced to 500 voI
On there was great iubilation among t
gn republicans, even though The vote
ap president showed a majority for Gle
land of 33,O57. Now we find TIT
same republicans pulling themselves
st. to the seventh heaven of delight
hg their boot straps about the result
he the recent election in Ohio, where
lat combined opposition has a major
les against Gov. Foraker of 1864 vot
ne We freely cOncede that Ohio is a
Ill publican state and that it may be
OF counted in the presidential contest
'e- 1888, though Mr.. Cleveland will
10 more votes there than Mr.. Powell
OF ceived, but we submit that iubilati
TO- over Ohio will weaken very much
in points made as to republican hopes
TO Missouri, especially al there are Il
I've no faction fights in the state democr
Tor and an evident desire aud intention
Inc relegate all old disputes and QUAR-
ht, and their fomenters to the political bt
: yard.
'py Mr.. Nicholas NJ. Bell, the super
tendent of the foreign mails, i'll
annual report says that the weights
,op the mails conveyed from the Uni
vas States to for eign countries during
I'M year show an increase in the If,
for Atlantic mails OF 1888 per cent
The letters and 1886 per cent. of other
EAST ticles. The mails for the Central
al - H.